Blood pressure can be indicative of a variety of health conditions. If a person's blood pressure is too high, for instance, the pressure puts extra strain on the arteries and the heart, which may lead to heart attacks, strokes, kidney problems, etc. Low blood pressure can be related to other heart problems, endocrine problems, infections, etc. Blood pressure is commonly measured using a sphygmomanometer, which is a device that uses an inflatable cuff to collapse and then release an artery under the cuff. The cuff is wrapped around a person's arm and inflated with air. The pressure in the cuff causes a constricting force or pressure around the arm that cuts off circulation through the artery under the cuff. The pressure in the inflatable cuff is then released. While releasing the pressure, a mercury or mechanical manometer is used to measure the pressure in the cuff, which is an indirect measurement of the pressure of the blood flowing through the artery.
Certain examples are shown in the above-identified figures and described in detail below. In describing these examples, like or identical reference numbers are used to identify the same or similar elements. The figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features and certain views of the figures may be shown exaggerated in scale or in schematic for clarity and/or conciseness. Additionally, several examples have been described throughout this specification. Any features from any example may be included with, a replacement for, or otherwise combined with other features from other examples.